杏吧原版

World-renowned forensic scientist Dr. Henry C. Lee remembers a fall day nearly 50 years ago, not long after he and his family had moved from New York to Connecticut for him to join the University of New Haven faculty.

He was teaching an intro level criminal justice class when his assistant ran into the room to tell him his young daughter made an urgent call.

杏吧原版淚 ran to the office and picked up the phone, and she told me that robbers came to our yard and stole the pile of leaves we just raked over the weekend,杏吧原版� Dr. Lee said to laughter. 杏吧原版淚 told her not to worry about the leaves, just make sure the doors are locked and take care of your younger brother.杏吧原版�

Meanwhile, Dr. Lee asked his teaching assistant to cover the class. 杏吧原版淚 rushed back home to find that a group of my students were continuing to rake the leaves and clean the yard. I asked them, 杏吧原版榃hat are you doing?杏吧原版� They said, 杏吧原版楧r. Lee, you did so much for us, this is the least we can do to thank you.杏吧原版� I was so moved by the gesture. This is how great our students are. We were like a family taking care of each other.杏吧原版�

Dr. Lee shared this anecdote as part of his Commencement address during the University杏吧原版檚 undergraduate Commencement, the culminating event of a two-day celebration of the Class of 2025.

杏吧原版淵our future is in your hands,杏吧原版� Dr. Lee told the more than 1,100 graduates. 杏吧原版淎 college degree cannot guarantee you a career. It is only a ticket to enter the train station. Which train you want to get on, which direction you go, is up to you. What stop you want to get off at is also up to you.

杏吧原版淭o be successful you must learn the power of knowledge,杏吧原版� he said. 杏吧原版淵ou must have knowledge in your chosen field. Be the best, and be an expert in that field. You must also understand the importance of positive thinking. There is no obstacle that cannot be overcome if you persist and believe.

杏吧原版淥nce you have success, you should also share your success story with others. By sharing your knowledge, your strength, and your passion with others, you help and mentor them to create their own success,杏吧原版� continued Dr. Lee. 杏吧原版淭he more you help others, the more you are also successful. This is the Charger spirit, and our world will be a much better place if we all help each other to succeed together.杏吧原版�

As part of the ceremony, Dr. Lee杏吧原版檚 wife, Xiaping Jiang Lee, a distinguished author, screenwriter, and educator, was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

杏吧原版淧assionately devoted to cultural exchange and educational advocacy, you have impacted the futures of countless students as an educator,杏吧原版� the citation read. 杏吧原版淢ost admirable has been your work as an ambassador for the University of New Haven in Taiwan and China and leading fundraising efforts to support students.杏吧原版�

Angela Mercaldi 杏吧原版�25, a mechanical engineering major and member of the team, was selected through a competitive process to address her classmates.

杏吧原版淚 ask you to recall a moment in your life when you felt everyone else was moving forward, experiencing success, while you felt stuck, like you were sinking in quicksand, unable to catch up,杏吧原版� she said. 杏吧原版淏ut what if, from another eye, someone looked at you and saw your accomplishments, through your struggles, and thought to themselves, 杏吧原版楾hat person is truly a champion.杏吧原版�

"As you can see, everything in life is relative but so often driven by our own comparisons,杏吧原版� Mercaldi continued. 杏吧原版淭he world we are stepping into as the Class of 2025 is a leap we take together, as a promise to uphold one another, because no matter whether you placed 1st or 100th, you杏吧原版檝e crossed the finish line 杏吧原版� and for that I celebrate you.杏吧原版�

President Frederiksen, presiding over his second Commencement celebration since becoming the University杏吧原版檚 seventh president last March, told the Class of 2025 that Commencement Day marked the threshold to their next chapter.

杏吧原版淢y hope is that the University of New Haven and your time here will stand as an enduring reminder of your readiness to take on the world,杏吧原版� he said. 杏吧原版淭here will undoubtedly be times of trouble but here are a few suggestions to take with you on your journey: actions speak louder than words; being ready and getting ready are two different things; every interaction matters; relish every challenge; don杏吧原版檛 sleep on perseverance and resilience; and, finally, always do the right thing even when no one is looking.

杏吧原版淏eing a Charger means being a can doer and this is a time for can doers. Being a Charger means being an innovator, and this is a time of innovation. Being a Charger means being resilient and persevering, and this is a time of resilience and perseverance. Being a Charger means sharing a commitment to the community and the human good, and this is a time for community and the human good.杏吧原版� Jens Frederiksen

President Frederiksen told the Class of 2025 they will always have a home at the University of New Haven.

杏吧原版淎s we super charge the future of the University with local feel and global reach, we will be watching with bated breath as you take on the world and leave a lasting imprint on a better tomorrow in your respective fields and beyond,杏吧原版� he said. 杏吧原版淵ou are problem solvers, question askers, and entrepreneurial spirits 杏吧原版� the true embodiment of the elite global workforce of the future.

杏吧原版淚 encourage you to reflect the University杏吧原版檚 values of respect for others and a spirit of openness and embedded generosity that welcomes and encourages different opinions, perspectives, and criticisms,杏吧原版� he said. 杏吧原版淵ou are all Chargers and just imagine the impact you will have on the future.杏吧原版�

Connecticut U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal 杏吧原版�00 Hon., reflected on his latest of many visits to campus, saying, 杏吧原版淚 have spent enough time here over the years that I think I have learned here as much as anywhere else.

杏吧原版淭he University of New Haven is really a very, very special place,杏吧原版� he continued. 杏吧原版淚t is a great success story in American education.杏吧原版�

Senator Blumenthal encouraged the Class of 2025 to thank those who helped them reach Commencement Day and urged them to give back to help others.

杏吧原版淎s I look at you, what I see is America,杏吧原版� he said. 杏吧原版淭he diversity of this class is really astonishing. That diversity is the strength of our nation, our state, and our economy. This class reflects the richness of America.

杏吧原版淎merica needs you,杏吧原版� he said. 杏吧原版淐onnecticut needs you.杏吧原版�

President Frederiksen had one more surprise for the Class of 2025 just as they prepared to cross the stage.

杏吧原版淭o help kick off my favorite part of Commencement, I would like to welcome a special guest,杏吧原版� he said. 杏吧原版淚 know many of you think I have a lot of side quests. Perhaps one I have become known for is my relationship with the viral pet celebrity, with more than 18 million social media followers, Doug the Pug. Doug has become an honorary Charger, and we celebrate him today as an honorary member of our Class of 2025, presenting him with an honorary bachelor杏吧原版檚 degree in 杏吧原版渇urensic science.杏吧原版�

"There was something magical in the air at the commencement ceremony 杏吧原版� a deep, beautiful sense of hope,杏吧原版� Doug杏吧原版檚 mom Leslie Mosier, a talented social media strategist and a dear friend of Dr. Frederiksen and his family told

杏吧原版淗ope for the future, hope born from the pride of first-generation graduates and the hard-earned moments that brought everyone to that stage,杏吧原版� she continued. 杏吧原版淚 hope Doug can serve as a reminder that anything is possible and no dream is too big, even if it sounds a little silly or far-fetched at first.杏吧原版�